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Published in the Series Encyclopedia of Indian Religions, this volume is devoted to Christianity in India, where it has had a long presence, going back to the time of the apostles of Jesus Christ. Divided into two parts, this volume focuses on the history, origin, organizations and local engagements, belief system, worship practices, Rites, Rituals, Christian life, Contributions, Spirituality and a few of the main doctrinal items. The Second Part covers the doctrinal and theological arena. It examines the earlier phase of the history of Christianity starting with the traditional belief of the arrival of St. Thomas in AD 52, moving to the periods of its association with the Chaldean church, the Portuguese, the Dutch, English and so on. This volume highlights the missionary activities of persons like St. Francis Xavier, the creative contributions made to the inter-religious dialogue by such people as Roberto de Nobili (1577-1656) and Swami Abhishiktananda (1910-1973), the linguistic and educational contributions of some of the pioneers like the German Jesuit Johanne Ernst Hanxleden (known as Arnos Padiri) (1681-1732), Herman Gundert (1814-1893), St. Elias Kuriakos Chavara (1805-1871), and, a fortiori, the enormous contributions in the healthcare area throughout the country. Caring for and serving the socio-economically marginalized ones, the peripheralized people formed an integral part of the Christian activity In India, as it is done even today. This is highlighted very much in the volume. It, further, explores the contact India had with European Christianity, showing that European Christianity proved to have wider influence in the Norther part of India, unlike India’s early episodic encounters with Palestinian and Persian forms of Christianity, which had deep influence in the Southern part of India. The volume also highlights the inner struggle among the followers resulting even in its division originating at the Synod of Diamper in 1599 manifesting, by and large, the Church-state ‘love and hate’ relationships. In fine, in spite of the drawbacks of putting the herculean task of two thousand years of history in eight hundred pages or so, this volume gives a rather comprehensive view of Christianity in India especially to those who are unfamiliar with its life and dynamics in the Indian context. The wide range of photographs, especially of the churches revealing the architectural beauty and multiplicity along with the ensample of art and paintings and pilgrimage centers adds to the enrichment of the volume.

This book offers the student of English Baptist history (1741-1845) access to a remarkable archive of Baptist letters found in the collections of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester, of which only a handful have ever been seen before. Not only do these letters add greatly to our understanding of Baptist history during these years, but the biographical footnotes and glossary of names included in the book provide an invaluable resource tool for students who do not have the opportunity to conduct archival research. The most striking aspect of the Baptist correspondence in the Raffles Collection are the seventy-five letters addressed to John Sutcliff (1752-1814), Baptist minister at Olney (1775-1814). This book also provides identifications of more than 850 individuals, including 480 Baptist ministers, missionaries, and laypersons, of which nearly 300 can be found in the biographical glossary at the end of the volume. The remaining individuals are primarily ministers of other denominations, political figures, merchants, and writers, of which approximately ninety can be found in the glossary. No other volume in print provides students of Baptist history with such a resource for biographical information on Baptist ministers, missionaries, and laypersons from this period. The publication of this book also establishes the John Rylands University Library as one of the more significant depositories of Baptist archival materials, especially as related to the workings of the Baptist Missionary Society, within the United Kingdom.